Hands-on work and tech mesh well at Ferme aux pleines saveurs.

We recently headed out to Saint-André-Avellin, Outaouais to catch up with Martin Turcot and Chantal Vaillancourt, the owners of Ferme aux pleines saveurs. With their amazing team, they grow up to 40 varieties of veg in their fields and greenhouses spanning 55 acres.

Even with 20 years of experience mastering the art of organic polyculture, the duo (like many of their peers) still faces challenges when it comes to finding workers and competing with imported produce prices. For a farm of their size to stay afloat, manual labour alone isn’t viable. That’s why they rely on tech and machinery to automate some of their operations - helping them maximize production and optimize workload. Despite the high initial costs, Martin and Chantal say that automation is the way forward for medium to large-scale Quebec farms. They believe that more government subsidies should be granted to help with the transition in order to keep local food production alive

Watch our latest video to hear how they successfully run their organic farm and keep reading to find out more.

Investing in machinery to stay ahead of the curve. For Martin and Chantal, the farm is more than just land - it’s a living, breathing lab. While they value hands-on work, they've made the most of some existing grants to cover part of the cost of new equipment, helping their team sow, plant, weed, and harvest more efficiently. 

Adding technology to the mix to keep things fresh. When Martin and Chantal aren't out in the fields, they’re attending conferences to stay on top of the latest ag innovations. The climate and irrigation are computer-controlled in their greenhouses, creating the ideal environment for their crops to thrive. In their cold rooms, smart sensors work overtime to keep the optimal humidity level for storage and make sure we get a steady supply of local veg through the winter.

Keeping our baskets colourful with an infinite veg supply. So far this summer, we’ve been enjoying rainbow carrots, celery, many types of cabbage, fennel, tomatillos, and orangetti squash - with even more on the way. As the temperature cools down, get ready for daikon, celeriac, parsnips, leafy turnips, baby leeks, and more varieties of squashes.